


Roses, Tulips, Marigolds

by grapalicious



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Multi, Plant puns, Polyamory, be warned: this is very cheesy, sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-30
Updated: 2017-07-30
Packaged: 2018-12-09 00:28:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11657829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grapalicious/pseuds/grapalicious
Summary: Prompt:Garden Centre AU, Cosette & Marius work in the Garden Nursery and Courfeyrac works in the Cafe, mutual pining and plant themed puns.





	Roses, Tulips, Marigolds

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LoquaciousJargon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoquaciousJargon/gifts).



> This prompt was so cute, I couldn't resist it. This story probably could have used a bit more of everything, from pining to plant puns, but I had fun writing it and hope that is enjoyable none the less.
> 
> (Also the only real knowledge I have of garden nurseries is from the one down the street from my house that I almost worked at but didn't. Please excuse any inaccuracies on that front. I've also edited multiple times, but if a mistake or two slipped through, I apologize.)

Cosette first meets Courfeyrac the summer she turns seventeen.

A light rain starts to fall and she takes a break from wandering through the rows of plants and flowers to take shelter in the cafe.

That’s when she notices him. The new boy behind the counter. A boy around her age with brown curly hair and light brown eyes like cinnamon. He smiles pleasantly, dimples poking into his cheeks, and asks if she wants anything.

She asks for a chai latte and gets a mocha instead. 

He looks crestfallen and apologizes immediately. “Sorry. It’s my first day. Still trying to get everything straightened out.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Cosette smiles at him. Then she jumps behind the counter and ties on an apron while he stares with wide eyes. “I’ll help you out.”

It takes a minute to convince him that she works there too and is not just a crazy person from off the street.

It takes another two hours to teach him how to properly make all the drinks on the menu and meanwhile they talk.

She explains that she mostly works out in the gardens. That her father opened the garden center when she was seven, not too long after he adopted her and they moved here. Her father let her name the place, _Fairy Gardens_ , and she used to spend hours as a child roaming through the plants and pretending she discovered fairies’ hiding places. The cafe is a fairly new addition.

She learns that his name is Courfeyrac. Courfeyrac turns out to be a fast learner and relaxes into the routine after they make a couple drinks. She learns that he is talkative, friendly, and is working there for the summer.

She shows him how to make a chai latte. He makes one perfectly, handing it over to her with a triumphant grin.

The sun is back out and Cosette bids a farewell to him, warm latte in her hand.

“I guess you better make like a tree and leaf,” Courfeyrac says, the grin on his face never fading. 

”Like I‘ve never heard that one before,” Cosette calls back at him as she exits the building. But there’s laughter in her voice and a grin plastered on her own face.

*******

Marius meets Cosette for the first time when he’s seventeen and in a hurry.

He’s running late for class, not watching where he’s going. 

As a result, he bumps into a girl, knocking things out of her arms.

“Sorry, I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you there,” he hastily apologizes, picking something off the ground and shoving it back into her arms. “Sorry.” He runs off again, trying to get to class.

Cosette huffs and picks up the rest of her things then goes on with her day.

It’s a short meeting. They don’t even catch each other’s names.

*******

Courfeyrac meets Marius for the first time when they’re both eighteen.

Bossuet technically met him first and likes to point out later that Courfeyrac stole Marius away from him. Courfeyrac likes to point out that you can’t actually have dibs on people and he was just taking Marius off Bossuet’s hands because Bossuet’s hands are usually full anyway.

When they meet, Marius isn’t in a hurry and he isn’t late for anything. As a matter of fact, Marius has nowhere to go at all.

Courfeyrac invites the boy with jet black hair and hazel eyes flecked with gold back to his place. Marius protests with wide eyes.

It takes a minute to convince him that there was nothing sexual in that request and he isn’t looking for a hookup.

It takes another two hours and backup from Bossuet, Joly, Combeferre, Enjolras, and Bahorel to _actually_ convince Marius that he isn’t looking for a hookup and it’s perfectly safe to go home with him.

Courfeyrac explains that he’s been looking for a roommate. That he’s studying chemistry at the university. That his summer job working at _Fairy Gardens’_ cafe didn’t stay a summer job but also became an autumn, winter, and spring job.

He learns that Marius has been kicked out of his grandfather’s house. That Marius is kind and slightly shy and quiet but very firm in his convictions. Marius has vague aspirations to become a lawyer but at the moment he has no home, no money, and no job.

Courfeyrac shows Marius the apartment and tells him to make himself at home. As for the money and the job, Courfeyrac remembers something Cosette said about hiring for the gardens.

He makes the suggestion to Marius.

“I don’t know anything about plants,” says Marius.

“That’s okay. I didn’t know anything about coffee when I started working in the cafe. I made a mocha instead of a latte.”

“What’s it like working there?” Marius asks.

Courfeyrac thinks for a moment. “It’s plantastic.”

That’s the first time he sees Marius smile.

*******

Marius meets Cosette for the second time when he’s eighteen. Neither one of them remember the first time.

Marius was supposed to meet Courfeyrac at _Fairy Gardens_ so he could be introduced to the owner’s daughter and hopefully get a job.

He shows up early, anxiety getting the better of him and wanting to make a good first impression. Courfeyrac is nowhere to be found.

He decides to wait behind the counter of the cafe until Courfeyrac arrives.

“Who are you? You don’t work here.” A voice startles Marius and he looks up at a girl with lilac and teal streaks in her hair and gray eyes that remind him of a thunderstorm.

It takes a minute to convince her that he’s waiting for his friend who works there and is not just a crazy person from off the street.

It takes another two hours before Courfeyrac shows up.

While they wait Marius explains that he’s looking for a job. That he doesn’t know anything about coffee or plants but he’s been reading and researching and he can now name over a dozen species of tulips. He even looked up flower language and meanings, in case it came in handy. He knows that roses can be flowers of desire and that marigolds can be flowers of despair. He explains how Courfeyrac has been nice enough to give him a place to live and has been an amazing friend to him.

He learns that the girl with the lilac and teal hair is Cosette, the owner’s daughter. Cosette is bright and nice and seems to have a perpetual twinkle in her eye. That she’s studying social sciences. Marius learns that she sometimes likes to roam the gardens and keep an eye out for fairies when no one else is watching.

Cosette shows him how to make a latte. He tries and messes up, resulting in a drink that resembles more of a mocha than anything else.

Courfeyrac appears when Cosette is instructing him on how to properly make a mocha. “I see you two have met,” he smiles at them. Then he turns his attention to Cosette. “So what’s the verdict? Does Marius have a job?”

Cosette pretends to give it serious contemplation. “Hmm. Let me ask you this Monsieur Marius: What is it you look forward to the most about working here?”

“Um,” Marius look between them. “It’ll give me a chance to... branch out?”

Courfeyrac and Cosette exchange glances. “Was that a tree joke?” Courfeyrac asks Marius.

“Yes?”

Cosette beams. “You’re hired.”

*******

It’s summer when Courfeyrac thinks his feelings for his Marius and Cosette are slightly more-than-friendly feelings.

Courfeyrac is hanging out behind the cafe’s counter when Marius and Cosette come inside from the heat of the garden.

There are pink flushes across both of their faces and their hair and shirts are slightly damp with sweat. It brings to mind many other scenarios in which Courfeyrac could make them look like that.

Courfeyrac tries to shake those thoughts away, tries not to think of them that way. Lately though, it’s getting harder and harder to tell himself that he’s just experiencing a crush- or two- and that these feelings will fade.

Cosette is telling Marius some story involving Musichetta and Bossuet.

“Cosette,” gasps Courfeyrac as they come closer. “Are you gossiping?”

“Gardeners know the best dirt,” replies Cosette, leaning against the counter and continuing her story. There’s certainly truth to that, Courfeyrac thinks, eyeing the smear of dirt across Cosette’s nose and cheek. It probably shouldn’t be as attractive as Courfeyrac finds it.

Cosette has gone on to talking about how Marius seems to grow vegetables better than her. “And his strawberries!” she exclaims, sounding half awed, half annoyed. “They’re almost twice as big as mine. I don’t know how he does it.”

Marius shrugs, grinning at both of them. “Weed ‘em and reap.”

Cosette bites her lip, tryng to stop the smile spreading across her face. Courfeyrac doesn’t bother holding his smile back.

As Marius leaves, Courfeyrac can’t help but admire the view with a tightening in his chest Because he also can’t help but notice the way that Cosette also admires the view. She runs after him, latching onto his arm and begging for strawberry secrets while Marius laughs.

Courfeyrac sighs.

He needs to forget his feeling so he doesn’t mess up whatever it is that is obviously between Cosette and Marius.

*******

Marius comes to the realization that he might be experiencing romantic attraction to his two best friends just as autumn turns to winter.

He’s in one of the greenhouses with Cosette when Courfeyrac walks in carrying two steaming cups from the cafe.

“Courfeyrac,” Cosette calls over to him. “Please tell me one of those is a mint tea.”

Courfeyrac grins, holding cup out for her. “Well, I guess it’s... _mint_ to be.”

He holds a cup out for Marius too who accepts it gratefully. Taking a sip, Marius feels a warmth spread through him, not just from the drink, but from the two people in his company who make him feel content and happy. Marius has to admit, whatever he feels for Cosette and Courfeyrac, he thinks it’s more than just friendship.

Courfeyrac is asking them for anything new. “Any new gossip? Limericks? Short stories? Jokes? Anecdotes?”

As she drinks her tea, Cosette hums thoughtfully. Finally, she says, “I've got something. One plant asks another plant: ‘Hey, are you hungry?’ And the other plant responds: ‘Yes, I could use a light snack.’”

Marius bites his lip keep from bursting out laughing while Courfeyrac smiles fondly and says, “Cosette, don’t ever change.” Marius silently seconds that notion. Then Courfeyrac bids them farewell and leaves the greenhouse. Marius notices Cosette watching him go with a fond smile of her own.

He spends most of his time around Cosette and Courfeyrac and he knows there’s nothing going on between them. Nothing romantic. But sometimes it’s so easy for Marius to see that something _could_ happen between them. As happy as they both make Marius, he can see they make each other feel the same.

Marius sighs.

He just hopes he’s not standing in the way of what Cosette and Courfeyrac could potentially have.

*******

It’s a Tuesday when Grantaire stops by.

He’s on his third cup of coffee in ten minutes when he tells Courfeyrac, “There’s more pining in here than a lot full of Christmas trees.”

Courfeyrac eyes Grantaire warily. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’m talking about your feelings.”

“My feelings are...,” Courfeyrac hesitates, “complicated.”

“Well,” Grantaire drains the last of the coffee from his cup, “However it works out, I’m rooting for you.”

“Be careful,” warns Courfeyrac. “One more plant pun and we might have to offer you a job.”

*******

It’s spring and Cosette is fairly sure she’s in love.

She is also fairly sure she needs to do something about it.

Cosette marches into Marius and Courfeyrac’s apartment carrying a potted aloe vera in her hand.

Because that was the thing to do, wasn’t it? It seemed only logical to come bearing plants right before proposing a three-way polyamorous relationship.

Which is exactly what Cosette did.

“I’ve brought an aloe,” Cosette announces. She takes it as a good sign that Marius and Courfeyrac don’t look the slightest bit surprised as she lets herself in and sets the plant down on the coffee table.

“Here’s the thing,” she says. She looks at Courfeyrac. “I like you a lot.” She swings her gaze over to Marius. “ _And_ I like you a lot. And if I’m reading the signs right then I also think you both like _each other_ a lot. ”

Courfeyrac and Marius exchange a glance and then look back at Cosette, neither of them refuting or confirming anything.

So Cosette starts to ramble.

She starts to talk about how good the three of them are together and how good she thinks they’d be _together_. She talks about how she doesn’t think she can stand one more minute of the tension between them and how she really, _really hopes_ she hasn’t read the situation wrong-

“Cosette,” Marius interrupts. She takes in a deep breath, stops talking. “You had me at aloe.”

Courfeyrac laughs and adds, “Me too.”

Cosette lets out a breath of relief.

And just so they know they’re all on the same page, Courfeyrac continues, “Can you guess who has tulips and wants to kiss the both of you?”

It pretty much seals the deal when both Cosette and Marius answer at the same, “Then plant one on me.”

Cosette sighs happily.

Everything was going to be vine and dandy.


End file.
